Why Does Game Localization Matter? We’ll Show You
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Localizing games gives publishers lots of new opportunities. Their titles will attract gamers from other countries, and new fans means more revenue. A properly localized product can often be an even bigger hit in foreign markets than in the country where the publisher’s headquarters is located. Don’t believe it? We’ll show you some specific examples (our clients’ games) of how localization can bring games to the top of the charts in the most unexpected regions.
Information about mobile game and publisher stats is provided by AppMagic. Their statistics are updated every day, so they’re always current. In this article, we’ll show you revenue indicators and numbers of downloads for the last 30 days.
Lost in Blue
Lost in Blue is a multiplayer RPG in which the player finds themselves on a mysterious island. They have to build a shelter, explore the area, stock up on resources, craft weapons, and fend off hostile enemies. Thanks to this unique combination of PvE and PvP gameplay, players can fight each other or join forces against a common foe.
Lost in Blue is published by the Chinese company Volcano Force. It’s been downloaded over 200,000 times in the last 30 days. The following countries have the most downloads:
- India: 22%
- Brazil: 13%
- Türkiye: 5%
- Mexico: 4%
- Thailand: 4%
The bulk of that revenue comes from the South Korea (24%), China (18%), and US(16%).
Free Fire
The mobile game Free Fire from Singaporean publisher Garena International is one of the most popular examples of the battle royale genre on the market. In this game, 50 people fight for the right to be the last person standing. As in Lost in Blue, the game takes place on an island where players have to explore the area, hide, and fight each other.
Over the past month, the game has been downloaded over 10 million times, primarily in the following countries:
- Indonesia: 22%
- Brazil: 13%
- Mexico: 11%
- Vietnam: 7%
- Thailand: 6%
The most lucrative markets: US (42%), Indonesia (11%), Mexico (9%), Thailand (7%), and Brazil (6%).
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is a real legend in the mobile gaming space. It was the most-downloaded free-to-play iPhone game in Southeast Asia in 2017. On top of that, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is now an esports discipline with annual competitions.
In terms of genre, ML:BB is a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena). Players break up into two teams, each of which tries to capture and destroy the other’s base.
Despite the fact that Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s publisher Moonton is in China, most of the game’s downloads are in Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, and the Philippines. It was downloaded over 5.1 million times in the last 30 days.
The game’s revenue breakdown looks like this:
- Indonesia: 44%
- The Philippines: 11%
- Malaysia: 5%
- Türkiye: 5%
- Thailand: 5%
As you can see, two of the three publishers we mentioned are from China, the largest player in the video game market. Despite this, most of the people who play Lost in Blue and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang live in different countries.
Localization: the Path to Success
Hopefully now your doubts have all been cleared up, and you’ve seen that limiting a game to its home market just doesn’t make sense. Logrus IT’s specialists have been localizing games since 1997, and they’ve completed over 500 projects during that time. We’re trusted by the largest international video game publishers and developers in the world. We can create a top-notch localization for your product that will allow you to turn other regions into potential goldmines and help your game become a legend on an international scale.
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